After much research of other baseball programs as well as observing best practices seen in other youth sports, New Canaan Baseball requesting everyone’s cooperation and support for our dugout policy. This policy is in place for two primary reasons: 1) enhance the baseball experience for the players, and 2) player and spectator safety.

NCBB Dugout Policy:ONLY PLAYERS AND OFFICIALLY ROSTERED COACHES are allowed in the dugouts during games (this applies to ALL House league, Rams Select travel games, both home and away). The only exception will be if a coach asks a parent to help or fill-in for a missing coach and specifically asks that parent to be in the dugout for a particular game. No siblings, friends, parents, grandparents, etc. are allowed in dugouts during games. This applies from pre-game warm-ups until the coach dismisses the players after the game. Please refrain from bringing food into the dugout because it is both messy and distracting to coaches and other players.

Mellick Field: The dugouts on Mellick are clearly defined and self-contained; the policy should be clear.

Gamble Field: We ask that spectators use the stands/open area along the left field line, outside the fence and beyond first base along the right field line, or the areas outside the outfield fence. Due to the open dugouts on Gamble and the only ingress/egress going through the 3rd base dugout, we ask that there be no spectators behind the backstop or behind the dugout benches on either side. If people need to get from the left field line to the right field line during a game, we ask that you quickly cross the outfield in between innings and not travel through the dugouts. Spectators should be very diligent about protecting small children from batted or thrown balls on this field.

Irwin Park and Country School Fields: On most of these fields there are no segregated dugouts and only benches. Accordingly, we would ask spectators to avoid being behind the backstop and behind the benches. Please try to watch the games from the bleachers (if applicable) or along the right field or left field lines.